Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

As Empress Xu was speaking, she suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the open space next to her.

She took out the water-fire gourd from her sleeve, and with a gentle tap, several brand-new sets of everyday clothes appeared out of thin air on the clothes rack, hanging neatly in a row.

The clothes rack was something she had brought from Kunning Palace. It was a sandalwood rack with several brand-new clothes hanging on it, some moon-white, some jet black, and one dark red. Each one was made of brocade with subtle patterns that flowed under the lights in the hall.

"I heard a few days ago that you were going to war, so I thought I would make you some new clothes. The Imperial Clothing Bureau was rushing to finish and didn't have time to make anything too complicated, so I made you a few sets of everyday clothes." Empress Xu stood up, walked to the clothes rack, and ran her hand over the fabrics one by one.

"This white one is made of brocade, it suits you perfectly. It matches your temperament just right, making you look like an immortal. Aren't immortals usually dressed in white? This black one is also beautiful, with narrow sleeves and a cinched waist. Wearing it makes you look like a great general, majestic and awe-inspiring, no, a great general from the celestial realm."

She picked up the dark red one again, held it up in front of Zhu Gaoxi, and nodded in satisfaction. "This red one is nice too. My son looks good in anything."

Zhu Gaoxi was pleased to hear Empress Xu praise him and casually replied, "That's certainly true."

Empress Xu put down the clothes in her hands, turned around, and gave him a playful glare: "Shameless. Praising yourself like that, you've been corrupted by your second brother."

Zhu Gaoxi's tone was somewhat innocent: "Didn't Mother say I was good-looking first? I look just like Mother. If I looked like my father, I would be really doomed."

Upon hearing this, Empress Xu covered her mouth with her handkerchief and chuckled, pointing at him with her finger: "You, you, if your father knew you were making up stories about him like this, I wonder what he would think."

"I'm just stating the facts," Zhu Gaoxi said helplessly, shrugging. "Mother is indeed much prettier than my father. My second brother and the others look more like my father; my second brother looks the most like him."

Empress Xu covered her mouth and laughed out loud, her shoulders shaking slightly before she recovered.

She put down her handkerchief, her eyes filled with reminiscence, and said with emotion, "That's true. Back then, Mother was a well-known figure in Yingtian Prefecture. So many families sent matchmakers to the Xu family to propose marriage. The threshold was almost worn down. Later, your grandfather personally arranged the marriage, and that's how you married your father."

She compared Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi in her mind, her tone tinged with suppressed laughter, "But your second brother does look most like your father. That face, that personality, they're practically identical. But don't say that outside, your father has his pride too."

Zhu Gaoxi chuckled and leaned forward, as if sharing some amusing anecdote: "Mother, how could I not know? My father and my second brother are both people who are extremely concerned about their image. I won't talk about it outside, after all, my father is the emperor."

Empress Xu nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly changed the subject, revealing a hint of domineering arrogance: "Hmm, that's good. We can talk about it privately. After all, what my son said is the truth. What can that Zhu Laosi do to me and my son?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaoxi replied with a hint of coquetry in his voice, "With Mother backing me up, I'm not afraid anymore."

Zhu Gaoxi suddenly remembered what happened at the military camp today and began to talk about it with great interest: "By the way, Mother, when we went to the military camp today, you didn't see the expression on my second brother's face when he saw the beast I conjured up."

He circled the white tiger I had conjured for him several times, looking up at its back with his eyes wide like copper bells. He imitated Zhu Gaoxu's tone, perfectly capturing the excited look of the Prince of Han.

Empress Xu was amused and giggled, covering her mouth with her handkerchief.

Seeing his mother smiling happily, Zhu Gaoxi suddenly remembered something, put down his cup, and said seriously, "By the way, Mother, we're going to war tomorrow. I haven't gotten you a mount yet. Perfect timing, I'll get you a tiger to keep in Kunning Palace. It can be a pet and protect you in case anything happens."

Empress Xu knew the protagonist was concerned about her, and said softly, "Oh, it's nothing. What could possibly happen to your mother in the palace? Isn't there still that sword-nurturing gourd you gave me last time? I haven't even used the sword energy inside yet."

"It's an extra layer of protection." Zhu Gaoxi had already stood up, waved towards the door, and instructed Little Snot to go to the yard and catch a few ants and grasshoppers. "Mother hasn't seen how this supernatural power works yet, has she? I'll demonstrate it for you today."

Empress Xu was indeed curious. She nodded, her tone filled with anticipation: "Alright, then I'll broaden my horizons. But I don't want those big tigers that can fight. They're too big and scary. I'll just keep them as pets."

"Alright, then I'll turn into a small, cute one for Mother." Zhu Gaoxi said with a smile, "Mother, you'd better open your eyes wide and take a good look later."

A moment later, a servant brought in a copper basin with several black ants crawling around at the bottom. Zhu Gaoxi told Empress Xu to sit still, walked to the basin, glanced back at his mother, and then pointed.

The divine power of the monkey talisman poured out from his fingertips, and golden light enveloped the ant in the basin.

The little insect rapidly swelled and deformed in the light, growing snow-white fur. However, its size did not grow wildly like the tigers in the military camp. Instead, it was controlled to be larger than an ordinary tiger, with shoulders higher than its waist, a body length of nearly ten feet, long and powerful limbs, and a tiger tail that swept slowly across the ground like a steel whip. (For more details, refer to Gong Baiwan.)

Its fur was fluffy and soft, and its entire body was snow-white. A faint golden "king" character pattern was visible on its forehead. Its pair of ice-blue eyes were curiously looking around. Although it was not as huge and terrifying as the war tigers in the military camp, it still had its own elegance and majesty as the king of beasts.

Empress Xu was initially just curious, but now her eyes lit up.

The tiger tilted its head as she stared at it, letting out a soft, low growl, as if it were greeting her.

Zhu Gaoxi stepped forward, his spiritual power probing into Empress Xu's body, drawing out a tiny wisp of blood and flicking it into the tiger's forehead. A flash of golden light, and the Beast Taming Technique was activated. Empress Xu immediately felt a strange connection in her mind.

Zhu Gaoxi raised his hand again and a gentle light of creation swept over, completely erasing the slight discomfort from the blood draw.

Actually, taking a drop of blood is not uncomfortable at all, but Zhu Gaoxi just wanted to be good to Empress Xu. Even if it was just a drop of blood, he had to use the power of fate. As for Zhu Di and the others, they had all bled before. It was just a drop of blood, so they certainly didn't need it.

Empress Xu felt a strange connection between herself and the tiger in her mind. She stood up in surprise and delight and walked to the tiger.

She cautiously reached out her hand, and the white tiger immediately nuzzled its head against her palm.

She touched the soft fur, which was warm and comfortable to the touch. She squatted down and carefully examined its icy blue eyes. She then touched its ears, which twitched twice before obediently drooping down.

The tiger moved closer, nuzzled its head in her arms, and let out a satisfied purr.

"This tiger is so cute!" Empress Xu hugged the white tiger's neck, turned to Zhu Gaoxi and smiled, "It's even cuter than the pets you gave me before. I never imagined I'd be able to raise a tiger in my lifetime, I never dared to dream of it."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaoxi felt a sense of déjà vu and couldn't help but chuckle, "Mother, what you said is exactly the same as what my second brother said."

Upon hearing this, Empress Xu's smile faltered for a moment, then turned into a look of disdain. She waved her hand and said, "Is that so? Then tell your second brother not to say things like that next time. It's embarrassing for me to hear him say the same things as me."

Zhu Gaoxi couldn't hold back any longer and laughed so hard his shoulders shook. It took him a while to calm down: "Mother, where did you learn that? Your reaction is too fast."

Empress Xu stood up, straightened her clothes, and said with a hint of pride, "Back in the day, when I was in Yingtian Prefecture, I was known as the female Zhuge Liang. Being quick-witted was just a normal thing for me."

She glanced down at the white tiger rubbing against her skirt at her feet, and her tone suddenly became more wistful, "It's your second brother's condition, sigh, it makes your mother a little worried."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaoxi thought that he should indeed be worried. Although his second brother was not very strong in martial arts, he was not very intelligent, at least not as intelligent as Zhu Zhanji.

In real history, after the Yongle reign, Zhu Gaochi's rebellion failed, and he was imprisoned in a bronze vat and roasted alive by his own nephew, Zhu Zhanji. He died a humiliating death and was nicknamed "Clay Pot Chicken".